Red Banner, No. 3

Thanks to Tony McGrath for scanning this and forwarding it to the Archive.

This is a wide-ranging document which joins other copies in the Archive.

Of the contents the periodical notes:

Michael O’Reilly, the Irish Secretary of the ATGWU, has long been a prominent figure in the workers’ movement: here, in an interview with Rosanna Flynn, he gives his own opinion of some of the issues facing Irish workers. Kieran Crilly asks who has benefited from the ‘prosperity’ created in the era of social partnership.

From Good Friday to the referendum, to Drumcree and Omagh, the situation in the North presents new challenges for socialists, which are examined in John Meehan’ s article.

Two hundred years after Protestant and Catholic, north and south united in revolution, Mary Muldowney looks at the role of the Catholic hierarchy in 1798 and since. Colm de Faoite looks at what this year’s commemorations have left unsaid.

The 150th anniversary of the Communist Manifesto is marked with a critical examination by Aindrias 6 Cathasaigh. One of its authors, Friedrich Engels, is the subject of this issue’s ‘Revolutionary Lives’ article. (Restrictions of space have meant that the second part of Joe Conroy’s article will have to wait until issue 4.) More of the hidden Connolly is revealed in this issue’s selection.

The Introduction notes:

It’s now a year since Red Banner made its debut. The idea that motivated it was very simple, some might say even naive. Socialist revolution, we believed, was desperately needed in a world suffer­ing every day of every week from the ‘blessings’ of capitalism. Achieving such a revolution required that the ideas of socialism be spread and developed within the working class. And that need, we felt, had to take precedence over the private short-term interests of any organisation or group. So we put together this magazine, to provide a voice for socialist ideas, independent of all affiliations except the one that really matters-loyalty to our class and the cause of its liberation.

And:

In the meantime, capitalism has continued to serve up its usual diet of crisis and oppression, but there have been welcome signs, both in Ireland and around the world, of a growth in resistance to it. Red Banner’s intention has always been to do its own little bit in such resistance. While we are flattered that others have follow­ed in our footsteps in the past year, we are still convinced of the need for a socialist magazine that can present views and informa­tion unconstrained by the need to adhere to or defend an organ­isational position. Obviously we are not alone, judging by the fact that our first two issues are all but sold out-forcing us to signifi­cantly increase our print run-and that the steady flow of articles continues.

And it also notes:

The only way Red Banner has managed to come this far is through the active support of its readers, buying, selling, and writing for the magazine. Only if that support continues can the magazine continue. We need articles in time for the next issue in May. Red Banner has no party line to lay down or conform to­all we ask of our contributors is that same fundamental commitment to workers’ freedom common to all real socialists. By widening and strengthening that commitment within our class, this magazine can play a small part in the coming struggles that contain the promise of building a proper socialist movement.

As always a fascinating periodical.

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